Tokyo is a great city and has a lot to offer. However, if you struggle with some of the following points you might want to leave or not come to live here in the first place. So here we go, 7 reasons to leave Tokyo.
Tokyo is crowded
Tokyo is one of the most populated cities in the world. Over 10 million people live just within Tokyo itself. So obviously some areas especially during rush hours or on the weekends can be extremely crowded. If you feel overwhelmed or feel panic in crowded places, you might consider leaving Tokyo and trying to live in other parts of Japan or the world.
It is hard to make Japanese friends in Tokyo
One of the biggest cons of living in Tokyo and in Japan in general for foreigners is the struggle to find true Japanese friends. Some people won’t get closer because of the language barrier or the cultural differences. Some will use you only so they can practice their English. And also Japanese adults are busy people, which makes it difficult to find time to make new friends.
In Tokyo, not many people speak English fluently
Japanese is relatively a difficult language, but if you do not speak it, you might find yourself in a tuff position sometimes. It will be difficult to solve bureaucratic issues, visit a doctor, communicate with the staff at your child’s school, and more. If you are not willing to learn Japanese but want to feel comfortable and confident, Tokyo is not the best choice for you.
There is no work-life balance in Tokyo
Lack of work-life balance used to be a huge issue once. Nowadays it is getting better thanks to many factors one of which is the option to work from home. However, overtime work is still a problem in many Japanese companies. And even if you do not have overtime, the working week itself is still pretty long and the vacations are short compared to many Western countries.
Tokyo apartments are small and expensive
As mentioned earlier, there are too many people living in Tokyo. This creates a huge demand for housing. But the land is not stretchy, so construction companies have to work with what they have. This makes building large apartments almost impossible. If you want to live in a big spacious apartment or a house be ready to pay a lot every month or leave the big city.
In Tokyo, you always should have cash
If you are one of those people who is used to paying everywhere with a credit card or even your phone, you will have a hard time in Tokyo. Of course, while most of the newly open modern restaurants, cafes, and shops will have cashless payment methods, some places expect only cash. These are usually smaller and older places ruled by elderly owners who do not want to switch to credit cards, find it expensive, or find it less trustful than cash.
There is no central heating in Tokyo
In Tokyo, the colder months of the year are not even remotely as cold as in some northern areas of Hokkaido, of course, but it still gets quite chill. Yet there is no such thing as central heating. When the cold arrives, the only way to warm the place where you live or work is an air-conditioner or a heater. And not just that it is very expensive to keep the A/C ON for most hours of the day, but it is just not enough. So if you are sensitive or not used to cold, once again Tokyo might be not a place for you.
